Motorized rotating fork

Details Motorized rotating fork Motorized rotating fork

2001-09-26

2003-07-22

Payer, Hwei-siu (Department: 3724)

Cutlery

Forks

Reexamination Certificate

active

06594908

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL HELD
The present invention is directed to an eating utensil, and in particular to a motorized rotating fork.
BACKGROUND ART
As most people know, eating spaghetti or noodles can be a trying experience. To gather the noodles it is necessary to rotate and twist the fork artfully just to create a cohesive bite. Even when the noodles are collected, consuming the food without making a mess is a rarity. If the food does not remain collected, dangling or loose pieces of pasta, spaghetti or noodles can dislodge and soil the user. A motorized rotating fork is useful in collecting food such as noodles and allows the user to consume the food more easily and with less chance of embarrassment.
A difficulty with a motorized fork is that the stopped position of the fork is random. When the utensil stops rotating the tines may not be in a comfortable or effective position for eating. This random position makes it uncomfortable or difficult to consume the food on the utensil. The utensil then needs to be rotated manually, defeating the original purpose of the motorized rotation. Thus, a motorized utensil that has a pre-determined stopped position would allow for easier collection and consumption of food.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is an eating utensil, and in particular a motorized rotating fork. The preferred embodiment of the utensil contains an improved electromechanical motor switching system in the fork's handle which allows for increased reliability and simplicity while reducing the cost. The system comprises a cam attached to an electric motor that is in electrical contact with a power source such as a battery. Preferably, the cam has a lobe for halting the cam's rotation. The motor has an activation switch and the switch is in contact with the cam's lobe when the cam is in a stopped position. When the switch is activated it moves out of contact with the cam and, as a result, the cam and the tines attached to the cam rotate. When the cam, and preferably the lobe, contact the switch, the electrical circuit is closed and the cam stops rotating. The cam's lobe will rotate freely until the lobe reaches a predetermined position which allows the final orientation position to be predetermined.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3589009 (1971-06-01), Miscavich et al.
patent: 3851501 (1974-12-01), Levin et al.
patent: 4600826 (1986-07-01), Ishimura
patent: 5062211 (1991-11-01), Di Amico
patent: 6442846 (2002-09-01), Michael

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